


Talent

by hatebeat



Series: Putting the gears in motion [7]
Category: Metalocalypse
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-09
Updated: 2013-08-09
Packaged: 2017-12-22 23:18:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/919203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hatebeat/pseuds/hatebeat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>May, 1991. Orlando, Florida. Nathan Explosion's first show.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Talent

_May, 1991. Orlando, Florida._

This was a pretty shitty first show for any band, but at least it was a start, even if it completely lacked brutality. None of them had ever played in any livehouses or anything, and they didn't have any connections. So even though they'd been playing together whenever possible at Luke's place, they had never had the chance to play in front of people before.

So brutality be damned, Nathan changed that. He entered Bloodshot Carnage in his school's end of the year talent show.

Even though everyone who was sitting out there to watch this crap was just some jackoff he couldn't give less than a shit about, Nathan still had a strange feeling. His palms were sweating, his stomach was flip-flopping, and all the water in the world couldn't stop his mouth from feeling like a fucking desert. Brutal or not, this was his first show and somehow he just _knew_ that this was going to be the beginning of everything.

Their names were announced and they walked onto the gymnasium stage. Nathan was immediately displeased about the way the lights were set, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Luke was wheeling his drums out still, and Marcus and Mike were plugging in their guitar and bass. Nathan grabbed the mic in hand and glared out at the crowd. His nervousness fell off of him like a snake shedding its skin.

These guys had no idea what they were in for.

His band started to play and Nathan closed his eyes as he screamed out his words. Everything about the stage was wrong. Everything about the lighting was wrong. The audience was wrong. He didn't want to look at any of it, so he closed his eyes and he gave them his best performance.

It was all over as fast as it started.

The guys were excited by the rush as they walked off stage, giving showy bows and shit. Nathan walked off in silence, and he didn't join the others when they went to the bathroom to take a few celebratory hits from Marcus' pipe. He went out and sat in the back of the gymnasium, scowling throughout the rest of the show. 

This might have been called a talent show, but these people didn't have an ounce of talent in their entire bodies.

His bandmates came to join him shortly before the end. Marcus and Mike were blazed out of their minds, but Luke still seemed to have enough of his head left on his shoulders.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, we'd like to announce the winners of tonight's talent competition," said the stupid smiling girl. She was like head of student council or something. Nathan didn't really know or care. He hated her face, even if she was kind of pretty.

A lot of shouts called out, and people yelled out the names of various acts. Mostly people yelled out the names of their own acts. Nathan just clenched his fist.

"Bloodshot Carnage! Come on up to the stage, guys! As you know, the award is $200 in gift cards and this trophy featuring our school mascot."

Nathan blinked. Holy shit, that was actually them. His bandmates were clapping and jumping to their feet, but Nathan just sat there, dumbstruck. They won? Even though it was death metal? He didn't actually expect to win...

"Come on, man, we gotta go on stage!" Luke said, tugging Nathan to his feet by his arm.

Nathan followed in a daze. This time he had to face the audience with his eyes opened, he guessed, and that was a real challenge. 

"Congratulations guys!" that girl was saying at them. "Do you want to say a few words?" She shoved the microphone into Nathan's hand and he just looked at it. What? What the hell was he supposed to say?

Luke elbowed him, a huge grin plastered on his face. "Say something, dude!" 

"What am I supposed to be saying?" Nathan whispered, looking frantically from his bandmates, to that girl, to the audience. He was not prepared for this.

Hesitant, Nathan lifted the microphone to his mouth.

"I uh... Thanks. For uh... For this thing. Hey, what the hell do you want me to say?" Nathan growled.

There was a murmur through the audience, and nobody seemed so excited anymore. Nathan just scowled harder at all of them. 

"You're a fuckin' moron!" came a call from the audience, and Nathan snapped to attention. It was a kid from the basketball team whose ass Nathan had thoroughly kicked on more than one occasion. But he apparently thought Nathan wouldn't kick his ass here, in front of everyone. 

"Too stupid to even talk!" called another one of the basketball players. "Get this idiot off stage!"

Nathan frowned, hard, and clutched at the mic, bringing it back to his mouth.

"Okay, listen up. You assholes know what? I don't give a shit about school or whatever you fuckers say about me. I'm going to be a musician. And what are you all going to be? Nothing. So fuck you and your stupid award. I'm quitting school."

Nathan threw the mic at the floor in front of the stage and stomped off, but he took his trophy with him. The school mascot was an alligator. He kind of liked it.


End file.
